December 2025 Puzzles

Across

• 1 Naughty child starts to incinerate mince pies (3)
• 5 Worshipping a party band... like The Magi? (7)
• 6 A week after 10 chopped yew in the vicinity (3,4)
• 9 Cut air travel prior to air strike - that's rash! (9)
• 11 Removes religious writings after someone utters 'Bethlehem' to begin with (9)
• 16 Seasonal fare that's regularly priced (3)
• 18 For incredibly good starters, it's traditionally added to 10,7 (3)
• 20 Transform Noel? Virtue is incredibly having no end (13)
• 21 Stickiness clings to some wrappers for festive centrepiece (5)
• 22 Department protected by cashmere mittens (5)
• 23 21 getting this in song that's loud and tinkly at the start (3)

Down

• 2/10 Compliments of the season? It screams myrrh all over the place (5,9)
• 3 Opening in the year of the Lord's first coming (6)
• 4 Dark-haired, perhaps? That's not right! (6)
• 10/7 I've heard you'll mash spud to make these sweets (9,4)
• 8 A large number go there late on 10 17 (4)
• 10 See 2, 7 or 17 (9)
• 12 Beautiful women lacking energy? They create ding-dongs! (5)
• 13 It's sung around 10, around a bottomless barrel (5)
• 14 Contributing to loveliest fairy tales? (4)
• 15 Question words articulated description of esteemed post-natal visitors (4)
• 16 In favour of heading to Palestine... or heading back (3)
• 10/17 The first woman to chase its charms cracked right at the close of 3 (9,3)
• 18 Suitably decorative tree... if put up right (3)
• 19 Wonder grips every man in the first instance (3)